Hands-On Preview: Nokia Lumia 520, The Sub-RM 600 Windows Phone 8

At a glance (apart from the differences in their model numbers), one might easily baffled at the fact that the new Nokia Lumia 520 somehow costs less than the previously released Lumia 620. Consider this: not only the Lumia 520 is slimmer than the Lumia 620, it also comes with a bigger 4-inch display. Furthermore, Lumia 520 is equipped with an IPS display rather than a TFT display as per Lumia 620.

So, what Nokia actually did to enable them to offer the new Lumia 520 at RM 599 when the Lumia 620 costs RM 799? Well, click on the Read More link below to find out the answer.

Before we touched on that subject, let’s talk about what they have in common. Both devices are actually powered by the same 1.0GHz dual-core Krait CPU and Adreno 305 GPU that is contained within their Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8227 chipset. They also comes with similar amount of RAM at 512MB, 8GB internal storage and 5-megapixels camera.

Then again, the Lumia 520 is not equipped with flash for its rear camera as per Lumia 620. There is no front-facing camera as well although Lumia 520 somehow is equipped with a battery of larger capacity at 1430mAh as compared to Lumia 620’s 1300mAh battery. Also missing from Lumia 520 is Near Field Communication (NFC) capability and Dolby Headphone audio enhancements.

Not to forget, the Lumia 520 comes with only a single digital microphone as opposed to Lumia 620’s dual distortion-free high-amplitude microphones. All in all, it should now be obvious to you why Nokia is able to offer the Lumia 520 at a lower price point than Lumia 620 even though it might have slimmer design and bigger display.

From our brief time with the device, we are certainly in favor of the Lumia 520’s slimmer profile which is quite comfortable to hold – just like the equally new Lumia 720. While Lumia 520’s back cover is still as secure as Lumia 620 and 820, it is easier to pop open for the access to the device’s battery and card slots. We didn’t notice any performance issues although that is to be expected from a Windows Phone 8 device but we do feel that the Lumia 520’s IPS display do look rather dim even after we set its brightness level to maximum.

In terms of the camera output, it generally works well in well-lit areas but as expected, the output is not so favorable under low-light condition. Without a built-in flash, low-light photography is definitely not for Lumia 520. Here are some images as taken through the Lumia 520’s 5-megapixels camera during the device’s launch event yesterday:

Click on the images to enlarge them on a new window. Do note that these samples were taken under cloudy skies which is why they might looked slightly dull.

Taken under low-light condition.

Since the Nokia Lumia 520’s rear camera doesn’t come with flash and is also missing a front-facing camera, options for both features are missing from device’s camera interface.

As mentioned previously, the new Nokia Lumia 520 is priced at RM 599 and will be heading to retailers in Klang Valley by the end of April while the rest of Malaysia will receive it in early May. For further information, head on to www.nokia.com.my.

Originally deep in the eSports arena before making a move into the world of consumer tech, his current love are but not exclusive to PC hardware, gaming peripherals/system, fitness tech, virtual/augmented/mixed reality, and Microsoft products.
Has soft spot for Nokia devices.
No, Chapree is not his real name but he doesn't mind.